Rural mailbox door latch



July 22, 1941. J. E. GILSTRAP 2,249,731

RURAL MAILBOX DOOR LATCH Filed Sept. 20, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor I 12 fiZs'Zn July 22, 1941.

J. E. GILSTRAP RURAL MAILBOX DOOR LATCH Filed Sept. 20, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Patented July 22, 1941 UNITED STATES: PATENT ()FFICEY A RURAL Max:320 LATCH A t A Application September 20, 1939, Serial No. 295,833'

1 Claim. (oi. 292-74) This invention relates to mailboxes of the type used for rural delivery; and among the objects of the invention are:

(1) To provide a mailbox equipped with positive latch means for releasably, yet securely; holding the door of the box in closed position;

'(2)'To provide a door latching means for receptacles of this character which in addition to being positive in operation, will require no lubrication to maintain proper workingv condition;

(3) To provide a rural mailbox equipped with a specially constructed handle therefor to render more convenient the opening of the box; and

(4) To provide a mailbox equipped or constructed as to provide in effect a water-proof connection between the walls of the box and the door thereof when the latter is in closed position.

The invention, together with the above and numerous other objects thereof will be best understood from a study of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the mailbox with the door in closed position.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the mailbox at the door equipped end thereof, showing the door in full lines in closed position, and in broken lines in open position.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the box at the door equipped end there- 7 of with the keeper bar forming part of the door latch means clearly illustrated.

Fig. 4. is a fragmentary elevational view of the door showing the improved latch associated therewith.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a guide member forming part of the latch assembly.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the blank form from which the door handle is formed, and

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 1-1 of Fig. 1.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, it will be seen that 5 indicates generally the mailbox. The same may be of any suitable shape or contour and is preferably constructed of twenty gauge galvanized sheet metal.

At one end thereof the mailbox 5 is open, and for said open end there is provided a vertically swinging. door 6 that is hinged to the box 5 at opposite sides thereof as at I.

The box 5 is also equipped with the usual flag 8.

. guiding strap 2|.

In accordance with the present invention, the continuous top and side walls of the box 5 at the open end thereof have the edges rolled back and reinforced by a rod of wire or other suitable 7, material, and as indicated generally at 9. (See At the openend thereof, the bottom. so of the box has its edge turned upwardly as at Ill and as also best shown in Fig.- 2.

The door 6 of the box is provided with a marginal flange or skirt II that, when the door is in the closed osition shown in Fig. 2, overlies the integral top and side walls of the box 5 at the reinforced edge 8 thereof, the edge 9 fitting snugly within the confines of the flange II as shown. Also the upturned end ID of bottom 5d of the box bears against the lower edge of the closed door 6 as also shown in Fig. 2. Thus it will be seen that the wall edges 9 and ID of the box 5 and the flange or skirt II of the door 6 cooperate to provide a substantially waterproof joint therebetween when the door 6 is in closed condition.

The door 6 has mounted on the inner side thereof my improved latch assembly indicated generally by the reference number I2.

As shown the assembly l2 comprises a mounting plate I3 riveted or otherwise suitably secured on the inner side of the door 6. Riveted or otherwise secured to the mounting plate I3 is the attaching flange ll of a spring jaw member l6 and a cooperating spring jaw member H has a flange l5 extending at right angles therefrom which is slidably supported on the plate l3 by a The free ends of the two jaw members are bent away from one another as indicated generally at I8.

The lower jaw member I! is normally urged upwardly into coacting position with the upper jaw member l5 through the medium of a pin l9 that depends from said bottom jaw member I! as shown. The pin I 9 works through an aperture in a guide arm 20 that is mounted on and extends from the guiding plate 2 I' that in turn is mounted on the mounting or attaching plate l3. Interposed between the guide arm 20 and the lower jaw I1 is a spring 22 that is disposed about theguide pin I9 and acts on the jaw H to yieldably urge the same upwardly into substantially closing contact with the jaw 16 as suggested in broken lines in Fig. 2.

Cooperable with the jaws l6 and l I for releasably securing the door in closed position is a keeper bar 23 that extends transversely of the box 5 at the open end of the box; the respective opposite ends of the bar 23 being rivited or otherwise secured to the peripheral wall of the box 5 as at 24.

It will thus be seen that as the door 6 moves to a fully closed position, the bar 23 is accommodated between the oppositely curved ends it of the jaws l6 and I1 causing these jaws to spread apart to receive therebetween the bar 23. The bar 23 is thus frictionally engaged between the jaws l6 andl], and said jaws and keeper bar thus allfcooperateito releasably secure, the'door 6 in the fully closed position shown in Fig. 1 and also shown by full lines in Fig. 2.

To facilitate opening and closing of the door there is provided for the door a handle indicated generally by the reference numeral 25,

The handle 25 is formed from a single blank of metal, preferably twenty gauge material,'bent,-.'

shaped, and dimensioned to provide a substan: tially tubular grip portion 26 having at its re-' spective' opposite ends laterally enlarged right angularly disposed; flanges 21, that are bent onlines 28: to provide-integral attaching flanges 29' that are apertured as at 30 to receive rivets or other fastening elements, through the medium of which the handle is securely mounted on the door Eat the outer side thereof-as shown.

In: connection with theabove, it will be noted that in forming the tubular grip 2670f the handle the grip 26 from the door so as to permit the handle to be properly grasped.

From the above it will be seen that I have provided a rural mail box which will insure protection to the mail from rain, snow, sleet, or ice, and which at the same time embodies no costly structure, nor will require constant care and attention to maintain the proper working conditions thereof.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimedas new is:

A door latch for engaging a keeper bar comprising a plate connected with the inner face of a door, a pair of elongated spring jaw members 15' extending .in. opposite directions, means for fashaving right'angularly extending base portions tening the base portion of one jaw member to the plate, a guiding strap fastened to the plate and I I havinga channel-shaped part through which the 20 base portion of the other jaw member passes for sliding movement, the free ends of the jaw members curving in opposite directions, a pin extending from an intermediate part of said other jaw member, a bracket connected'with the guiding strap and having a hole therein'through which the pin passes and a spring encircling the pin and having one end bearing against theijaw member to which the pin is connected and its other end against the bracket.

" JAMES E; GILS'IRAP. 

